August 2013 - 45

Newer Players

Bridge Player's Survival Kit
BY LESLIE SHAFER

Why play Texas transfers?
Jacoby transfers are used to make
the notrump opener the declarer. After
a 1NT (or 2NT) opening, the responder
bids the suit directly below his five-card
(or longer) major. The advantage is
that the opening lead will go up to the
strong hand and not through it. Jacoby
transfers also allow responder to later
describe his distribution and strength.
If you don't play them, you should.
Texas transfers are similar to Jacoby transfers, but are used at the four
level and promise at least six cards in
responder's major. Over 1NT or 2NT,
responder bids 4ࡗ, opener says, "transfer" and then bids 4ࡖ. Similarly, responder would bid 4ࡖ to show spades.
One student wanted to know why she
needed to learn Texas when she could
use Jacoby and then jump to game.
Three reasons come to mind:

Bidding over interference.
Studmuffin tells me that when
he started playing bridge, hardly
anyone interfered with the other side's
1NT openers. Today, people today look
for any excuse to enter the auction after
the opponents open 1NT, especially in
duplicate. How would you bid with the
following hand if you were South?
ࡕ8 3 ࡖK Q 10 7 6 2 ࡗK 7 ࡔQ 3 2
West

North
1NT

East
2ࡕ

South
?

After East overcalls 2ࡕ, you can
no longer transfer at the two level. If
you don't play Texas transfers, you bid
4ࡖ and the expected spade lead goes
through your partner's possible spade
honors. Not good. The 1NT opener

should be declarer so his spade honors
are protected. Playing Texas, you bid
4ࡗ with this hand, partner says "transfer" and then bids 4ࡖ at his turn to call
if West passes. Problem solved.

Is a 4NT response quantitative or conventional?

Distinguishing between a quantitative 4NT raise and a conventional 4NT
(Blackwood) is another way Texas can
be an asset.
West

North
1NT

East
Pass

South
4NT

This sequence invites North to bid
6NT if he has a maximum 1NT opener.
It is not Blackwood. Use Gerber (4ࡔ)
after 1NT if you want to ask for aces.
West
Pass

North
1NT
2ࡖ

East
Pass
Pass

South
2ࡗ (1)
4NT

(1) Transfer.
In this case, South shows a semibalanced hand with five hearts and
invites slam in hearts or notrump. It
is the same auction as 1NT-4NT but
shows the heart suit along the way in
case North has a fit for hearts.
Roman Key Card Blackwood (RKCB)
is fast replacing standard Blackwood.
RKCB treats the trump king as a "fifth
ace." In order to be used properly, however, both partners must know which
suit is trump. Texas transfers allow you
to establish a trump suit and then use
4NT for RKCB:
West
Pass

North
1NT
4ࡖ

East
Pass
Pass

South
4ࡗ
4NT

By partnership agreement, 4NT asks
for key cards, and both partners know
what the trump suit will be.

Preempting the opponents.

The last reason to use Texas transfers is to prevent the opponents from
coming into auctions at low levels.
Using Jacoby at the two level may allow
your opponents to overcall cheaply,
discovering their fit and a possible
sacrifice against your game.
West
Pass

North
1NT
4ࡖ

East
South
Pass
4ࡗ
All Pass

South's hand might be:
ࡕ8 5 4 ࡖK Q 10 9 7 6 2 ࡗQ 2 ࡔ8.
Your opponents may have a huge
club fit that you would rather not hear
about. South wants to be in 4ࡖ but not
6ࡖ because North can't have the all the
controls needed for slam. Change your
hand to:
ࡕ8 5

ࡖK Q 10 9 7 6 2 ࡗA J 2 ࡔ8

and you would bid this way:
West
Pass

North
1NT
2ࡖ

East
Pass
Pass

South
2ࡗ
4ࡖ

If you play Texas, why didn't you
simply transfer at the four level? How
about a game-going hand with mild
slam interest? Slow arrival: good
values. Fast arrival: preemptive values.
You want to be in game with either
hand, but one is stronger than the
other.
■

August 2013 Bridge Bulletin

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2013